


Billionaire Playboy Philanthropists

by Nitro_Rugrat



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Basically if the movies had been in the same universe, Crossover, There is slight Stony, but it's nothing major at all I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-10
Updated: 2012-12-10
Packaged: 2017-11-20 18:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nitro_Rugrat/pseuds/Nitro_Rugrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark has known Bruce Wayne since they were both little kids, and neither could of expected the lives they ended up with. Tony feels that in the end though, neither of them would ever take it back. ((Basically Tony telling his life while having to deal with his friend Bruce's life too))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Billionaire Playboy Philanthropists

“Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne! Alfred!” 

“Ah, If you’ll excuse me Mr. Stark. Rachel? Rachel what is it?” 

“It’s Bruce! He fell--H-He fell!” 

“Fell where Rachel?”

“Down the well near the g-greenhouse!” 

“It’s okay, do you want to show me where he is? So I can go get him?” 

“Y-Yeah” 

“Ah, well Mr. Stark it seems that I may have to postpone our meeting until a later date...I’m sorry that you flew all the way out to Gotham for me to just postpone but--Kids will be kids. Alfred, do we have any rope?”

“I will find some Master Wayne.” 

“Oh it’s fine Thomas, we can discuss our meeting later. I know how children can be after all...right Tony?”   
“Yeah” 

\----

 

That was the first time that a young Tony Stark should of crossed past with the even younger Bruce Wayne. However they never really got a chance to truly cross paths after that due to various circumstances that honestly, Tony didn’t really care for. 

Heck, Tony didn’t really care for anything that his father’s company did with the Wayne company. He didn’t care that his father was determined to get Wayne Enterprise to help with this never ending quest to find Captain America. Tony Stark had much more important things to do, like terrorize nannies that couldn’t handle his “genius”. 

\----

When Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed, the Stark family was one of the first to arrive to help with funeral preparations. Tony remember’s that his father had tried to offer to pay for anything that was needed for the funeral, but Wayne’s company had insisted it would be best if they covered the expenses. 

Tony remember’s how uncomfortable his suit was that night, even though he’d practically been born in one. He remembered how Bruce had stood quietly at his butler’s side while people came and went saying how much of a tragedy it was. 

Tony hated it, because none of these people seemed like they really knew Mr. Wayne personally. They all looked like rich nobodies who were just looking for a way to better their image. Something that wasn’t unfamiliar to him. However he did notice some people seemed more sincere with their condolences, but either way Bruce would just nod and Alfred would say thank you in as polite a voice as possible. 

It was all very fake, like this was just some big performance for everyone there and the only one’s not acting were Bruce, Alfred, and the handful of people who actually really did care that the only heir to the company had watched his parents die in front of him. 

His father and mother cared, Tony thinks. He remember’s going to see Alfred and Bruce when the funeral was over. Tony had stood their, shyly, moving a little closer to his mothers side while his father talked to Alfred. 

“Alfred, the two of you would be welcome to move into our house with us--”

“Ah, Mr. Stark I believe that for the sake of Master Bruce it would be best that we stay in this house.”

“For the sake-- Alfred his father and mother lived here with him it will be a constant reminder that--”

“I want to stay here” 

Tony glanced at Bruce, who had as far as Tony could tell hadn’t talked all day until now. Really looking at him, he could notice how terrible Bruce really looked despite the clear attempt to try and keep everything in. 

“Master Bruce..?” Alfred started, carefully looking at the young heir. It happened so fast that Tony almost missed it because one minute Bruce was there and the next he was running out of the room and apparently up the stairs. “Master Bruce!” Alfred had called, standing up, “I’m sorry Mr. Stark but I do believe that he will be staying in the mansion under my care...I am sure you can find the door.” 

\----

It wasn’t til years later that Bruce told Tony that he blamed himself for his parents deaths. That it was his fault they had died because he had been afraid. Tony had tried his best to comfort him--not that comforting others was really in his expertise (but he had tried!). 

It was only weeks after that Tony’s parents died in a car accident, and for a moment Tony finally understood how Bruce had felt all those years ago. He remember’s going to the funeral, and how his tuxedo fit weird and how he didn’t really want to talk to any of the people who weren’t really there because they cared about his parents. 

“Bruce I am so glad you could make it.” Stane had said, squeezing Tony’s shoulder in what Tony assumed was supposed to be a comforting gesture(and it was, surprisingly, at that time). Bruce had nodded and pulled Tony aside later to talk to him in private. 

“I would say I’m sorry for you parent’s death, but I know how that sounds so I won’t, but I will say that I’m here for you Tony. Not as Wayne Enterprises, but as Bruce. So if you need anything I’m here” 

And if in that moment Tony finally broke down and started crying, neither of them ever talked about it again. 

\----

Of course Bruce had promised to always be there but had returned to Gotham not many weeks later to attend a hearing that apparently set his parents killers free. Tony had watched the trial on TV, annoyed when the guy was granted his freedom. He had shut the TV off when the shots were fired and a man who had ruined the life of one small boy finally got a taste of his own medicine. He would later hear about the gun, and how Bruce had been planning to do it himself, but had never gotten the chance. 

However, at that time, Tony had remembered calling Bruce’s phone and leaving a voicemail that he really honestly wished Bruce had saved somewhere.  
 “It’s over Bruce. You can move on.” 

Because had he known that his friend was about to disappear to only come back several years later so he could dress up as a flying rodent, Tony would of cracked a joke instead. 

\----

When Bruce Wayne had been pronounced dead by Wayne Enterprises, Tony Stark probably should of been pronounced dead himself. He probably had enough alcohol in him that he should be technically. 

The time from when Bruce had disappeared to before his return was probably a point where Tony wonders if Bruce had been there would he have turned out differently. Of course he had Rhodey, Obie, and later on Pepper to keep him from completely offing himself due to an alcohol induced coma, which was most certainly was better than nothing.

Even later on in his life he can’t help but wonder that if Tony and Bruce had been their for each other in that time of their lives if they would of turned out any differently. If they would of even wanted to. 

\----

He think’s that he first heard Bruce was back from the dead one morning from a reporter he’d slept with. Yeah that was probably it, and if it wasn’t her then it was probably Jarvis who had later confirmed it. 

“Peeeppperrr!” Tony had all but yelled over the phone.   “What Tony?” 

“Cancel all my meetings for the week, I’m going to go visit my dead friend in Gotham.”

“Tony.” Pepper had started, and Tony could already see the tired roll of her eyes and knew her tone of voice before she started. It was the ‘Tony-you-are-not-doing-this-to-me’ voice. “You can not cancel your meetings this week because you are supposed to be flying out to Afghanistan in three days to do a weapons demonstration.” 

“But Pep--”  “No Tony.” 

“You know I can still just go? Have Jarvis book me the flight right now. I really don’t need your permission.” Tony had said, already scrolling through an interface that was showing all the possible flights from his Malibu home to Gotham. 

“Except you know that if you do leave I might just kill you?” 

“Oh Pepper you do love me” 

“Go next week Tony.” 

“Fine. Jarvis book me a flight for next week and send an email to Alfred or Wayne or both of them I don’t really care telling them I’m throwing a ‘congratulations-you’re-not-dead’ party.” 

“At their manor sir?” 

“Sure that works, unless there is another place you can find for me to have it” 

“I will look into it” 

\----  
It was a week later that Tony had woken up in a cave in Afghanistan(so he had hoped at the time) with a car battery connected to his chest and the cold realization that all of his weapons were ending up in the wrong hands. Lovely feeling really. 

It was nearly half a year later that Tony finally managed to meet up with Bruce. If only because Bruce had invited him to Gotham(probably to throw Tony his own ‘congratulations-you’re-not-dead’ party) when he had seen the press conference about stopping all weapon manufacturing. The sitting down one. 

“Master Stark, are you sure there is nothing I can get you?” Alfred said, seeming very unamused with the fact that Bruce was apparently missing. Tony found Alfred’s unamusement amusing though, so he supposed it wasn’t a total loss. 

“Water--” Tony paused, mentally scolding himself as the thought of water brought up very unpleasant memories. He felt like he was going to throw up, and this time it wouldn't be dry heaving because Alfred had at least managed to get some food in him. 

“Alcohol it is sir” Alfred said, and Tony could help but laugh. In some ways he reminded him of Jarvis (actually in many ways) and it was definitely not only hilarious but very comforting. “Master Wayne should be here soon. He had an unexpected meeting tonight that he just had to attend to I hope you understand.” 

“It’s fine Alfred, Bruce actually doing something besides mope around the house,or my house, is quite the accomplishment in itself.” 

“If you only knew Master Stark. If you only knew.” 

And really Tony should of started figuring it out then, but he wouldn’t realize it until much later. 

\----

“You are the Batman! Oh my god Bruce! You are dressing up as a giant rodent every night and fighting crime what the hell--okay well it’s not like I’m one to talk, but Bruce! Why didn’t you tell me!” Tony whined, stabbing a fork in the other billionaire’s direction. 

Bruce rolled his eyes, and laughed at Tony’s pout, “You lied to me too Iron Man” 

“You are mocking me. That was a mocking tone. Bruce you dress up as a Bat and you are mocking me because I put on a super awesome suit that I created myself with my own genius and engineering skills. Alfred probably sewed that suit for you didn’t he!”

“Actually Lucius created it.” 

“The head of your company? Dude what the hell, my head of my company tried to kill me and yours does what creates you awesome gear in between being in charge of Wayne Enterprises?” 

Bruce smirked and shrugged. 

“That Bruce. Is not fair. That is just not fair. I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me. Was that you that destroyed that monorail-train thing your dad built ages ago?” 

“Well not all of us can just hold a press conference and go out and announce our secret identities to the world.”

“ooo Secret identities aren’t you just Mr. Cool here. Well I will have you know that if I didn’t have Jarvis scan your entire mansion and found your little secret cave thing I wouldn’t believe you’re the Batman.” 

“You really should stop scanning peoples houses as soon as you walk in.” Bruce pointed out idly, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. “Also the reason I didn’t tell you is because the more people that know who I am the more people I can hurt” 

Tony sighed, knowing Bruce well enough that he was being all ‘I don’t want what happened to my parents to happen to anyone else close to me ever again’. And Tony had thought about this, this whole secret identity and how if he wanted to protect his friends he shouldn’t just tell everyone who he is...but that really wouldn’t change the fact that he’d already done it and that he was confident in his powers to protect Pepper and damn if Rhodey actually ever needed his help. 

“Well, Mr. Batman, I’m sure that you will do an outstanding job regardless” 

\----

Tony doesn’t really remember how long it was until he was drinking that god awful potion that slowed down the Palladium poisoning while he watched one Harvey Dent announce he was Batman to most of America. 

“That. That is a lie. Bruce you are doing it wrong. That is, come on Bruce I did it right what are you even doing! I see you standing there!” Tony yelled at the screen. 

“Sir, perhaps things are a little different for Mr. Wayne. Gotham is--”

“A hell hole” Tony offered, turning back to one of his gauntlets. 

“That was not the wording I was going to choose but--”

“Gotham is different from here. I get it Jarvis. I mean I don’t exactly have a crazy killer clown going around killing random civilians claiming he’ll stop when I come and hand myself over. Everyone already knows I’m Iron Man so it would not really work that way would--Dummy why are you wiping me with a rag. A dirty rag. Dummy go take that over there.” 

“Maybe it is also the fact that for Batman to continue his success as a protector of Gotham it is important that his identity is unknown. To the people of Gotham, Batman is a symbol and is more than human...if they were to find out that it was just a man there would--”

“I don’t believe that Jarvis, maybe if the people of Gotham realized that just one man was trying to make such a difference then maybe things would be different.” 

“Mr. Wayne is more than just your average man though Tony. Things are just different in Gotham and what Mr Dent is doing, whether Bruce knew he would or not, is giving the Batman a chance to fix things.” 

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” 

\----

It was about two years after Batman had disappeared from the streets of Gotham, blamed for the death of Harvey Dent, that the tesseract was stolen. Tony had joked offhandedly to Coulson that maybe they should ask Batman to join the Avenger’s Initiative, but Coulson had just raised an eyebrow and said that they weren’t looking for that type of help.

It really was a sad day when Tony was invited to be a part of the boy band and Batman wasn’t. However Coulson knew about as much as everyone was being told. Batman was some man who did a bunch of good deeds for Gotham but in the end was just another bad guy that killed Harvey Dent. 

Which so wasn’t true. Tony had hacked Bruce’s computer. He knew about Two-Face and his crazy coin and threatening the commissioners son. Tony however had promised not to do anything about that, Bruce had said that Batman was gone. Hung up the cowl or whatever. 

Tony really couldn’t understand how one city could be so screwed up sometimes. 

However Tony never had a chance to go complain about a city to someone because suddenly there was Shield and the helicarrier and Captain America and a team. 

Tony had been amused by the whole Captain America thing really. All these years that his family and even Wayne’s family had spent money looking for him and all of sudden he just turns up. Good as new, albeit a few mental things in regards to waking up and all his friends being dead-- Oh wow that sounded bad even in Tony’s mind. Huh. Either way it was amusing, but not so amusing that it was enough to distract him from the actual problem at hand. 

Dr. Banner and him were fast friends, but the problem that had arose with him was his shared first name with the certain billionaire that Tony wished he could make sure was okay with everything going on in his life. Wasn’t much of a problem, just helped with Tony not forgetting he really needed to find time to visit Gotham. 

Then there was the whole issue where apparently he pissed a certain national icon off. “Big man in a suit of armor” and all that bickering was all pretty interesting to Tony, because he knew that he wasn’t completely useless with out the suit. Hell he could turn your average cellphone into an explosive in under five minutes(not that he had timed it or anything). 

However, it was for a moment, that Tony found himself thinking of Bruce when Cap had said that. Batman was just a big man in a suit of armor, and sure he was someone with out the cowl but Tony knew that the line between Bruce and Batman was a blurring one and that Bruce was always more so the mask than Batman was. So really how could Bruce have just given up and--  Oh awesome, apparently he’d mastered separate trains of thoughts and fighting with an entire group of people at once. That was great. That was an awesome skill really, and was that an explosion. Yeah that was an explosion. The suit would be a pretty good idea right about now. 

He needed to deal with this before he tried to deal with Bruce.  
\----

Apparently when you saved the world, and formed the Avengers and all of them moved into a fancy new tower together you lost track of time. One minute Tony was telling Jarvis to remind him to talk to Bruce and the next he was sending a nuclear bomb into some transdimensional portal, and then he was suddenly living with a group of superheroes. 

Suddenly he had a team, and he seemed to lose track of time. 

\----

Tony had at least remembered every year to send a present on Bruce’s birthday, send emails to him occasionally to keep him posted on things over where he was, he’d try and visit on the Harvey Dent days but it never seemed to work out because he was always so busy. 

And then suddenly six years later, eight years since the end of Batman, Tony wasn’t really doing well in keeping up with Bruce. There was Avengers and there was Steve. Steve was, well, a great distraction really. Tony hadn’t really told him much about Bruce, with the whole secret identity thing that Tony still really didn’t feel right sharing (even to Captain America, even to the man he was sleeping with). 

“Tony you need to be going to bed soon” 

“Do you know what I’d rather being doing? Yo--”

“Sir, there seems to be an incident going on in Gotham” Jarvis’s voice announced, silencing the pair in the workshop and damn if Tony didn’t think that Jarvis was just saying that because he was a traitor working on Steve’s side. 

“Pull it up Jarvis” Tony said, knowing that Gotham would already have whatever was happening all over GCN. 

“Gotham City? Isn’t that where that Batman fellow was?” 

“Yup” Tony replied, not sparing Steve a glance as the screen suddenly showed a scene with the words ‘Batman returns?’ at the bottom. 

Tony almost fell out of his chair. Actually he did fall out of his chair and thankfully the whole super soldier reflex thing saved him from a concussion. 

“Tony!” Steve yelled, instantly panicked. It was really sad when Steve was so used to Tony not seeking medical attention that he was so easily brought over the edge when Tony showed any signs of possibly passing out. Even though that really wasn’t the case this time. He was just really, really surprised. 

“Jarvis, run scans on the footage and see if you can actually verify it’s him.” Tony said, righting himself with more reliance on Steve then was really necessary. “and I’m fine Steve really. Promise. No really I’m fine. Just surprised”

And he was even more surprised when the next morning while he was getting breakfast(or more so being dragged to breakfast by Steve) Jarvis informed him that billionaire Bruce Wayne had no money left. 

“Huh, maybe you’re next Tony” Clint had joked, looking at the article over Tony’s shoulder. 

“Well I’ll just sell all the cool bows I made you to get some of my money back” Tony had shot right back, not moving his eyes from his tablet as he read through the article. Clint had huffed, but refrained from saying any more smart ass comments on the subject. 

“Who is Bruce Wayne?” Steve asked, sitting down beside Tony and looking at the tablet too. Steve didn’t like reading on the thing, but Tony doubted the article would be in one of the papers that Steve had delivered--or at least he sure hoped it wouldn’t be. 

“His family is old friends with mine and Wayne Enterprises is the company that worked with Stark Industries to help find you in the ice.” Tony pointed out, pleased to find that Steve no longer flinched at the mention of that time in his life. 

“So he’s gone broke then?”   “I don’t think so. Remember that cop chase yesterday? Well it started with a robbery in which the robber, Bane apparently, had full access to all the stocks of Gotham. Including Bruce Wayne’s. However something’s up here because of the fingerprint thing...long story short. Yes he’s gone broke, but no I don’t think it was on purpose.” 

At some point while he was talking Clint had gone still behind him and Natasha, Bruce, and Thor had entered the kitchen. Thor was happily putting poptarts into the toaster and greeting each one of them while Bruce just sat near Tony and read over the news article on the tablet. Natasha on the other hand was eyeing Clint carefully. 

“Jarvis, do you think I’m allowed to take the quinjet to Gotham with the rest of the Avengers” Tony asked, handing the tablet over entirely to Bruce. 

“Sir I am not really sure why you ask me when, despite my response, you will do it anyways.” Jarvis replied. Steve laughed and Tony rolled his eyes. 

“So Avenger’s are you ready to have a field trip to meet Batman?” Tony said nonchalantly. 

It was Thor who first responded, Poptart in hand, “Who is this Man of Bat’s we are going to meet? He sounds like a mighty foe” 

“Not a foe Thor, he’s a fellow hero. Or he was at least until about eight years ago” Bruce explained. Tony nodded, finally noticing that both Clint and Natasha were suddenly on the other side of the kitchen talking in hushed voices. 

“Care to share with the class?” Tony said, eyeing the assassins, and so ready to turn his fork into a form of defense if Natasha decided to kill him. Not that after six years he still expected that. At all. 

“You said Bane was in Gotham. That might mean the League of Shadows is moving towards fulfilling their plans” Natasha stated, as if that was supposed to mean anything to anyone. 

“League of Shadows?” Steve questioned. 

“Group of nasty assassin’s that I once trained under. Their leader Ra’s al Ghul is on some justice kick, and believes that by destroying Gotham he will rid the world of some great evil. Or something like that.” Natasha explained, as if saying she trained under these people was something as normal as saying you took your pet dog out on a walk.

“So the field trip is still on right?” Tony grinned, “Since apparently you know about this whole Bane thing and I know Batman we can offer our expertise. Putting the ‘Initiative’ in the Avengers Initiative if Fury asks.” 

Steve rolled his eyes, but other than that there seemed to be no real objection to the trip. However just as they were setting coordinates to Gotham, Fury had the Avenger’s assembling half way across the world for something Hydra related. Sighing, Tony allowed the course change since he was sure Batman could handle things himself. Or so he hoped that Bruce had things under control until Tony could offer an assistance. 

\----

_Dear Mr. Stark,_

_I am well aware that I have not spoken to you in quite some time and I greatly apologize for this. Master Bruce has in fact been receiving your gifts, but due to his unfortunate seclusion from the entire world he has not been responding as he should. I am sure by now you have seen the news in regards to the Wayne Company’s current financial issues. I am sad to announce that I am resigning from my position at the Wayne manor so if you could please check on Bruce and make sure that he has not burned the house down in attempting to cook for himself--on second thought you are not any good at cooking either Master Tony(no offense intended), so please take him out for dinner and try to talk some sense into him. He is stuck on Rachel’s death and I fear that he will let his guilt cloud his judgement. He has clearly taken up the cowl again, but I fear he is not in the right shape to be facing an opponent such as Bane. As far as we are aware Bane was trained by the same mentor as Master Bruce, but instead of leaving he was kicked out. I am afraid that Master Bruce will not survive this mission Tony and I ask, no I am pleading, that you please offer him your assistance. Although Master Bruce has expressed his dislike for other heroes in his city. I ask you that you please bring your team and try to provide help before it is too late. _

_Sincerely,  
Alfred Pennyworth_

\----

By the time Tony had finally gotten that email from Alfred, Gotham City was already under complete lock down. Fury was in a fit about it, saying they should try to send in the team regardless of the threat from the Bane guy, however everyone knew that this was not the wisest of actions. So the Avengers were stuck on the outskirts waiting for any chance to get in to help. 

Tony hated it, he felt like if he had just gotten the email sooner, or if the Avengers had assembled sooner. They could of stopped this. He didn’t even know where Bruce was and there was no way of finding out. Rumors said that the Batman was dead, but Tony knew that Bruce and himself had both ‘died’ before and come back regardless. 

Currently Tony and Banner were working in the ship trying to figure out ways to disarm the bomb. The Russian scientist had said he was the only one able to stop it, but Bane had all but explained what it was and given the name of who had made it. The information in regards to the scientist wasn’t hard for Jarvis to find and Bruce and Tony had been working on trying to understand a way to stop it from detonating. 

However even if they could figure out a way to disarm it, which they totally could, it was the problem of getting to the bomb before whoever held the detonator destroyed the city. There was just no way with out getting into the city and to the bomb itself that they would be able to do anything about it. And it sucked. It really, really, sucked. 

\----

“Always with the theatrics” Tony laughed, looking at the flaming bat symbol. It had been months and there had been no sign of the Gotham Siege ending, and still the Avengers could do nothing. The Fantastic Four and the X-Men had all offered help. Hell there were random heroes just approaching the city and being turned back because their was just honestly nothing to do. 

“Like you’re really one to talk Stark” Natasha laughed, while Tony shrugged.

“He had to learn it from someone.” 

\----

“Avengers! What is your status!” Fury’s voice yelled over the quinjet’s com system. 

“We’ve made it into the city, and Tony is pouting because Batman has a cool toy he doesn’t have.” 

“Well look at that damn plane! I probably made that! Or they probably stole the plans from me!” Tony whined, pointing to the ‘Batwing’ in the distance. Batman had connected with the Quinjet a couple minutes before saying that he needed the Avenger’s to enter the city and try and do as much damage control as possible. Help the police. Evac. etc. 

“What about the bomb?” Fury questioned, clearly uneasy with the fact the Avengers had entered the city despite the fact that they weren’t really supposed to. 

“Batman says they have it under control, sir. Clearly a retaliation has already occurred so the bomb has been stopped from going off.” Steve explained, pulling his shield off his back as they landed on one of the Gotham buildings. 

“Well make sure that it stays under control Avengers and get out there and help those people.” 

And Fury really didn’t have to say it twice. 

\----  
That idiot. That idiot. Of all the times to copy Tony. Bruce that is just never a good idea. 

“What is he doing!” Tony yelled, leveling himself as he stared at the plane towing along the bomb. 

“He’s flying away from this city, is he...” Steve started, but stopped as a string of curses came over his com from Tony. 

“I’m going to go after him!” Tony announced, already shooting forward after the plane. “Jarvis try and patch me into whatever communication system that thing has.” 

“Sir there is no response.” 

“Iron Man! Stand down!” Steve was yelling in his ear, and he was pretty sure Fury was too. That and Clint was saying something about shooting him down, while Thor was saying he would just drag him back. 

“Jarvis, what do you mean no response! Connect me to that plane! Get me on the line with Bruce, now!” Tony all but screamed, already flying out over the water. He could catch up with the plane, he was way faster than it even when it wasn’t towing the bomb. He could get Bruce out of there before the bomb blew.

“Sir, I suggest you turn back. If the original time that Lucius Fox gave us a couple minutes ago is correct than you need to stay out of range--” 

“TONY IF YOU DO NOT TURN BACK AROUND SO HELP ME GOD” 

That was Steve alright. 

“I am not letting him do this! He hasn’t even sent me any freakin’ birthday presents in the past like eight years. I promised Alfred I was going to make sure he didn’t get himself killed. I’m not turning back around!” Tony yelled, knowing that no one even knew what he was talking about, because he’d never told anyone about Bruce. About his friendship with the billionaire. They wouldn’t even know who Bruce was other than the now broke once-billionaire if Tony were to even say he was Batman. 

“Sir there appears to be no one on boa--” 

\----

Tony hadn’t been close enough to actually be killed, just close enough for the shockwaves from the explosion to send him flying unconscious into the bay and to send all of Shield and the Avengers into a complete panic. 

Thankfully Jarvis had taken over the suit to get him back up to surface so _he_ could be _saved_. Which was really pathetic but y’know whatever. 

Tony had ignored the medical attention and gone off to basically sulk in regards to his failure to save his friend. He had yet again been unable to save someone close to him. First he had been unable to save Yinsen, and now he had been unable to save Bruce. And just like Yinsen no one would really know what he had done. How much he had really done for Tony, and in Bruce’s case the entire city of Gotham. 

“Tony, is everything okay?” Steve asked, approaching carefully. 

Removing his helmet, Tony looked at Steve and then shook his head. Tony was standing on the edge of one of the bridges that had been destroyed probably months ago. It probably was beyond unstable but between Captain American and Iron Man they would most likely be okay. 

“Tony. This Bruce person and Batman were the same person weren’t they?” 

Tony laughed, slightly hysterical, and slightly because it was funny. He’d spent his entire life keeping that secret and now, all of a sudden, that Bruce was dead people were realizing it. “Yeah. Bastard’s been doing the whole hero thing for as long as I have. We started out for different reasons, but we have a lot more in common than the two of us would ever really care to admit to our faces.” 

Steve nodded, probably between prompting Tony to continue and being unsure what to really say. 

“His butler, Alfred, is a lot like Jarvis...and I promised Alfred that I would help him. Alfred sent me a message months ago saying he was afraid this was going to happen...he warned me and I was still...” Tony looked off at the bay, the remains of the explosion’s cloud still evident in the sky. 

Steve placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, squeezing it gently, “It’s not your fault Tony.” Which Tony knew, Tony knew that he had tried, he had helped Bruce today. However he couldn’t help but think that if he had been there sooner if he could of done more. If the first prototype of the Iron Man suit had loaded sooner then he could of saved Yinsen and maybe if he could of been there for Bruce sooner things would have been different. 

“You know. He’s such an asshole. He knows I did that whole thing with the nuke in New York. He’s just copying me. He secretly always was trying to better me.” Tony muttered, not being serious, but his joking surely helped keep his mind off of things.  
 The worst thing, Tony knew, would be the funeral he’d have to attend. 

\----

“Master Tony you really didn’t have to come to this.” Alfred said, and if Alfred was crying, Tony wasn’t pointing it out to anyone (especially since he probably was on the verge of tears himself--not that Tony Stark ever cried).  
“Alfred, you know I did, and I’m sorry for not getting here sooner.” Tony said, moving his eyes to the grave that said ‘Bruce Wayne’ neatly. He honestly wasn’t sure if he had meant getting here sooner to this funeral or if he had meant getting there soon enough to save him. Alfred was free to interpret it however he liked, and Tony knew that Alfred would never blame him for Bruce’s death regardless of how Tony might feel. 

Looking around, although it wasn’t a very large funeral like the ones he’d been to in the past, Tony knew that the five people here other than him were people that really knew who Batman was. Knew what Bruce Wayne had done for the city. He recognized the police commissioner from the news, and Lucius he’d met a couple times. Selina Kyle was someone he had never met personally, but he’d heard of the impressive rap sheet she had as a cat thief. The police officer, or ex-police officer, that was there he did not recognize but he figured he must of been close enough to Bruce to be here. 

And okay, wow, that was a painful thought. That there were people that Tony didn’t even know that had been here for Bruce when he hadn’t. Tony really was no good at this funeral thing.

Honestly, he hated funerals. Especially because his suit never fit right. 

\----

“You are the biggest bastard on this entire planet. I hope you realize that. You are such a bastard. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I really truly hate you right now. How did you even afford this thing, how can dead people really afford anything. I just, I hate you so much. I’ve been invited to two of your funeral’s now. _Two_. I may have actually cried for you. Hell! I almost got myself killed because you are such a fucking bastard. How dare you! I am scandalized, if you can’t tell because I am! Jarvis and I may never, ever, talk to you again. Ever.” 

“Tony why are you talking to a car?” 

And Tony turned, looking at Steve, then with a broad movement he gestured at the car parked innocently in the garage as if that was supposed to answer Steve’s question. 

“Jarvis did he install an AI into the car?” 

And for a moment Tony was proud that Steve would come to that conclusion first instead of ‘Jarvis do I need to call the asylum’. However he was no longer really in the correct mindset to be voicing these things because car. 

“No sir, the car is a gift from--”  “Bruce fucking Wayne!” Tony cried, sending the car a glare. “That bastard doesn’t send me any presents for like eight years then fucking dies and now look, he’s sending me presents!” 

And now Steve was giving him the ‘Jarvis do I need to call the asylum’ look. 

“No don’t give me that look, I’m not crazy--okay well I can’t really say I’m not but not this time for real. Look at this!” Tony cried, shoving a piece of paper in Steve’s hands. 

Steve read it, then laughed looking up at Tony, “Well at least your not as crazy as I was thinking”

“You are a bastard too. Just like him.”  
\----  

_Dear Tony,_

_So I hear you attended my funeral. How was that? Did you enjoy it? Selina(not that she goes by that anymore) says that you were crying but I doubt that. I have seen Alfred, so don’t stop reading(because I know by now you’ve figure it out) and tell Jarvis to get Alfred on the line because he knows that I’m not dead. I got you this car (sorry it took so long fresh starts don’t exactly come with a company credit card) for your birthday(s since I know I’ve missed a couple handfuls of them despite the fact that you sent me presents every year regardless). Try not to install an AI in it or turn it into a Transformer because I’m sure there are copyrights and with your luck it would be a decepticon--and I really don’t want to see that on the news. I also wanted to say thank you for, well a lot of things. I heard you send video games and cellphones and basic fun things to the orphanage. I also heard, and saw, that you tried to save me and I wanted to thank you for that as well. Despite the fact that you’re an idiot (also I will point out I have a statue in Gotham and you do not in New York despite us basically performing the same feat...well maybe I did better). I also would just like to thank you for your friendship for all these years, even if we weren’t always there for each other, and I thought you deserved to know I was doing okay. I have a fresh start and have given up the cowl for good. Alfred claims that I may have just passed the cowl on, but whatever that means I’m choosing to ignore it because I’ve seen what impersonators have had to go through. I am really not sure where I’m going with this but I wanted to tell you that I’m here for you still. So if you really ever need anything, I’m here (because I know that now that you know I’m alive you have enough resources to really find me if you wanted to). Though I think that your team thing has pretty much got that covered. Be safe Tony._

_Sincerely,_  
 _Bruce  
_

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first thing I have ever posted on this website so comments would be appreciated on not only the story but on if I have uh failed on tagging and such. Please and thankyou :)


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